S. Korea holds all-important annual college entrance exam

South Korea on Thursday held its annual college entrance exam, the all-important test in the education-obsessed country, with government measures taken to control traffic and the morning rush hour being rescheduled.

The College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), which started from 8:40 a.m. local time, will run through 5 p.m. at 1,212 test sites nationwide, according to the education ministry.

This year, a total of 631,178 high school students and graduates registered to take the eight-hour exam, which is believed here to determine their course of life and future professions.

The score a student earns from the test is a key decider of college entrance. In South Korea's society, graduating from a prestigious university is crucial in obtaining a successful job.

Under government orders, companies and public offices opened one hour later than usual to alleviate traffic jam during the morning rush hours. The local bourse also opened an hour later than usual.

Buses and subways extended rush-hour services to help all test-takers arrive on time, and traffic was restricted by police within 200 meters of test centers.

Police operated a call center for students in need of a ride, transporting them to the test sites by patrol car or motorcycle.

All airplane takeoffs and landings will be suspended for 35 minutes from 1:05 p.m. during the listening section of an English exam as part of the noise-control measures.

The CSAT consists of five sections, including the Korean language, mathematics, English, social and natural sciences and a second foreign language and Chinese character. Enditem